C4r aittraplio.

The "state of the Thames" now calls forth brief complaints in Parlia- ment, speeches in the Court of Sewers, and letters in the Times. The stench is sickening and the miasma it indicates poisonous. Mr. Har- rison informed the Court of Sewers, on Tuesday, that the Metropolitan Board of Works have devised a temporary remedy. They have deter- mined to carry the sower outfalls below low water mark. They begin with four, of which two are in the City. The cost of these two will be 6000/. Now, under the act, the whole expense may fall upon the City. He moved that Mr. Hayward, the engineer, should inspect the Plana, and report the City share of the expense. After some demur this Was carried.

The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts kept ita 167th anniversary on Tuesday. There was a full choral service in St. Pairs. The Archbishop of Canterbury, four Bishops, several minor dignitaries, and the City magistrates were present. The sermon was Preached by the Bishop of Derry.

The annual meeting of the Society was held in the Egyptian Hall, Mansion-house, an Thursday, the Lord Mayor in the chair. The finan- cial report was satisfactory. The ordinary fund amounts to 80,0001., the special fund to 13,2001. The increase over last year is 50001. The fund for the extension of Indian missions is 17,0001. The meeting resolved to make still further exertions in India, China, New Zealand, and Africa.

The last meeting of the Royal Geographical Society for the present season was held in Burlington House on Monday, Sir Roderick Murchison in the chair. The meeting was very fully attended ; and at its close, Sir Roderick announced that the society would not meet again until Novem- ber. The chairman in the course of the proceedings stated that another Arctic expedition is about to be organized in the United States.

The sum of 30,810/. has been raised towards the sum required for the completion of King's College Hospital-40,0001. Since June last up- wards of 17,000/. have been subscribed, and it is hoped that little diffi- culty will be found in obtaining the remainder, considering the great importance of the object in view. The Duke of Cambridge presided at a meeting on Monday when these facts were made public in a report. Among the speakers were the Duke of Newcastle, Mr. Gladstone, the Bishop of Lichfield, Sir William Page Wood, and Dr. Hook. Resolu- tions were passed cordially approving of the object and appealing to the public for further assistance.

A trial in the Court of Divorce and Matrimonial Causes upon a petition for a dissolution of marriage has attracted much attention on account of the important questions it raised affecting the procedure of the court and the law of evidence. The petitioner was Mr. Robinson, a civil engineer, the res- pondent and co-respondent were Mrs. Robinson, a woman about fifty years old, and Edward Wixtead Lane, proprietor of a hydropatic establishment at Moor Park. The Robinsons were married in 1844. Mrs. Robinson first became acquainted with Dr. Lane in 1850, and renewed her acquaintance at Moor Park in 1854. It was not until 1857 that Mr. Robinson first had any idea of the improper conduct of his wife. While Mrs. Robinson was ill, her husband discovered a diary, and in this 'diary were confessions of illicit amours. The diary was put in ; and passages were read. They were written with great ability, and described scenes alleged to have taken place in the grounds and house at Moor Park in language full of glow and pas- sion. One or two extracts will show this.

" October 7, Sunday.—Fine sunny, warm, genial day, almost like the former month. Dr. Lane asked me to walk with him, but I thought he meant only polite- ness; and I went to the nursery and stayed with my little pets more than an hour. He met me there at last, reproached me for uot coming, and bade me come away. I still lingered, but at last joined him, and he led me away and alone to our private haunts, taking a wider range, and a more secluded path. At last I asked to rest, and we sat on a plaid, and read Athenceurna, chatting meanwhile. There was some- thing unusual in his manner, something softer than usual in his tone and eye, but I knew not what it proceeded from, and chatted gaily, leading the conversation— talking of Goethe, woman's dress, and of what was becoming and suitable. . . . We walked on, and again seated ourselves in a glade of surprising beauty. The sun shone warmly down upon us, the fern, yellow and brown, was stretched away be- neath us, fine old trees in groups adorned the near ground, and far away gleamed the blue hills. I gave myself up to enjoyment, I leaned back against some firm, dry heather bushes, and laughed and remarked as I rarely did in that presence. Al! at once, just as I was joking my companion on his want of memory, he leaned over me, and exclaimed,' If you say that again I will kiss you.' You may believe I made no opposition, for had I not dreamed of him, and of this full many a time before What followed I hardly remember—passionate kisses, whispered words, confessions of the past. Oh, God ! I never hoped to see this hour, or to have any part of my lore returned. Yet so it was. Ile was nervous, and confused, and eager as myself. At last we raised ourselves, and walked on happy, fearful, almost silent. . . . . At last he came from the stable, cold, shivering, nervous, ill. Alfred went up to hear a ghost story from Miss B—, and we drew near the fire. How the evening passed I know not. It was full of passionate excitement, long and clinging kisses, and nervous sensations, not unaccompanied with dread of intrusion. Yet bliss pre- dominated. He was particularly gentle, soothing my agitation, and never for an in- stant forgetting the gentleman and the kindly friend. Alfred came to him to go to his son, and he reluctantly went, but came back and softly kissed my closed eyes. I tried to raise my drooping head, but in vain ; and, at last, in absolute dread of any one breaking in, he advised me to go. I smoothed my tumbled hair, and in a few moments found myself in the drawingroom, at half-past nine. Fortunately, only a few of the guests were there."

Mr. Chambers for Mr. Robinson read extracts like these, and remarked that his client had already obtained, upon this evidence' a divorce d mensd et there in the Ecclesiastical Court. Witnesses were calledlled to corroborate it. The chief of these were three servants. One Warren, a groom, said he had seen Dr. Lane sitting with his arm round Mrs. Robinson's waist in a summerhouse on an island. Mr. Forseyth for Dr. Lane, contended that the diary was not admissible as evidence against his client ; and brought wit- nesses who clearly showed that Warren the groom was quite unworthy of credit. Other witnesses, some ladies, including Lady Drysdale, his mother- in-law, showed that Dr. Lane's conduct to Mrs. Robinson seemed exactly like his conduct to other ladies at Moor Park. He walked out with all hie patients in turn. Dr. Phillimore' for Mrs. Robinson, said that this was One of the most remarkable cases he had ever heard of. It seemed admitted that the case against Dr. Lane rested on nothing but Mrs. Robinson's diary, which could not be admitted against him,• and it might, therefore, happen that Dr. Lane would be dismissed on the ground that no adultery was proved against him ; and Mrs. Robinson would be divorced on the ground that her adultery with Dr. Lane had been proved. The Judge Ordinary- " Supposing Dr. Lane were not a party in the cause, would not the diary be good evidence against Mrs. Robinson ?" Dr. Phillimore—" Certainly." The Judge Ordinary—" Then what difference can the fact of Dr. Lane's being a party make to her ?" Dr. Phillimore must still contend that they could not escape from the difficulty they were in—namely, that on the same evidence they would convict one alleged paramour and acquit the other. Dr. Phillimore contended that the passages quoted in the diary were not the narrative of real occurrences but of the merest illusions. A malady pe- culiar to women has led them to accuse themselves of even impossible crimes. He tendered Dr. Lane as a witness, and a long argument ensued on the question could his evidence be admitted. The Court said that upon the true construction of the Evidence Acts and of the Divorce Act the co- respondent was not competent as a witness. But another grave question had been raised—namely, whether, it being admitted that there was no evi- dence to affect Dr. Lane except the confession of the wife, assuming for the purpose of the argument that the diary amounted to a confeision, the Court ought not, ex debit° justities, to dismiss Dr. Lane from the suit, with the view of making him competent to give evidence for the wife. That question involved such important_principles in reference to the future ad- ministration of justice under the Divorce Act that their lordships were an- xious to have the assistance of the full Court before coming to a decision. They would therefore adjourn the case until they had communicated with the other members of the Court. If there were any other witnesses on the part of the respondent their evidence could be taken before the adjourn- ment.

Mr. Thom, a gentleman connected with literature, was examined. He read passages out of the diary relating to himself, and to an "escapade with Mr. Th." in the gardens. Mr. Thorn described these entries as ro- mantic and rhapsodical, highly coloured and exaggerated. He remembered no escapade, nor the least impropriety. The further hearing of the petition was adjourned.

The Submarine Telegraph Company have sought, by an action in the Court of Queen's Bench, to obtain damages from Mr. ibb, owner of the Spirit of the Age, for breaking, through bad seamanship, their Dover and Ostend cable, off the South Foreland. In a violent gale, the anchor was allowed to drag, while a tug was pulling the ship off the shore, where she was in danger of being wrecked. The anchor caught in succession the Os- tend cable and the Calais cable ; both gave way ; the Companies they be- longed to were put to great expense in repairing the cables, and their lmsi- neas was stopped for a time. Nautical men were called for the plaintiffs and the defendant, to show for the first that there was bad seamanship, and for the latter that dragging the anchor was a means of saving the ship, that it could not be hauled in for many hours, that it ought not—as it was the last anchor—to have been cut adrift : ship and cargo were worth 72,000/. The Jury found a verdict for the defendant.

A Jury in the same courahas awarded Mr. Perrins, an iron-merchant Of Birmingham, 3001: as compensation for hurts received by a collision on the London and North-Western Railway at Dudley Port. The Company did not deny their liability, but the parties could not agree as to the amount of compensation. Surgeons were called to prove how much Mr. Perrin& had been hurt ; and then other surgeons were produced by the Company to show that his hurts were not serious.

The Court of Queen's Bench is engaged in trying an unusual libel case. The plaintiff is Mr. laugh Hughes, the defendant, his relative Lady Dinor- ben. The libel is contained in a series of anonymous letters alleged to have been written by Lady Dinorben to injure the character of Mr. Hughes inthe eyes of his wife's relations, Lord Ravenworth's family. Had Mr. Hughes not married, the property he inherits would have gone to Lady Dinorben's children. The action was brought on the advice of Sir Frede- rick Thesiger because Colonel Smyth, actuated, it is supposed, by Lady Dinorben, challenged Mr. Hughes, demanding that the allegation against the lady should be retracted or substantiated.

The inquiry into the state of mind of Sir Henry Meux terminated on Thursday. The Jury were all agreed that Sir Henry is of unsound mind, but they could not agree as to the period when he became so. Mr. Com- missioner Barlow sent them back ; he could not receive such a verdict. They returned, however, iu the same state of dubitation, and then the Commis- sioner, that more time might not be wasted, consented to receive their ver- dict. He expressed his opinion that the whole matter would have to be in- vestigated over again.

In the Central Criminal Court, on Tuesday, William Rawson was tried for stealing a suit of clothes, and Jonathan Mirehouse with receiving them. Rawson is the man who has victimized so many tradesmen. Mirehonse is said to be his brother. The Recorder decided that the charge of larceny could not be supported, as the goods had been voluntarily placed in Raw- son's hands. Nerdiet, "Not guilty." The same persons were then tried respectively for stealing and receiving a gold watch and chain from Mr. Frodsham. Mr. Frodshain allowed Rawson to put the chain round his neck and the watch in his pocket ; Rawson left the room as if to fetch the 50/. the price of the articles, but really to run away from the house. The Re- corder decided that this was not legally a larceny, Mr. Frodsham not having objected to Rawson putting the watch in his pocket. Verdict, "Not guilty." Other eases were adjourned, with a view to putting some into a shape which should prevent an utter failure of justice.

Henry Beene Smithers, late Secretary to the Commercial Dock Company, pleaded guilty to three indictments for embezzling the moneys of the Com- pany. It was stated that it is believed the whole amount of the prisoner's defalcations is 8000/. or 90001. Sentence, penal servitude for six years.

Layton Ashton, who has been a clerk in the London and Westminster Bank-for twelve years, is in custody on charges of robbing the bank. Every clerk in the bank is compelled to make holiday once a year; and during his enforced absence his books are tested : in this way it was discovered that Ashton had been robbing the company. His Plan was peculiar. He had drawn checks in the name of customers upon the London and Westminster Bank, and passed them through the clearing-house, and afterwards, by taking advantage of his confidential position as ledger-keeper, he had tam- pered with the customers' accounts to cover his deficiencies, and destroyed the vouchers, so as to leave no trace of the manner in which the fraud had been committed. Cheeks drawn in the name of William Carrington had been traced to the Western Bank of London, where the prisoner had an ac- count in the name of Minton and Co., in which firm he was represented as a partner, and the power of drawing checks was vested in him alone.

On 'Wednesday, Rawson was convicted of "stealing" a gold watch and chain, which he pretended he was about to purchase of Mr. Murray, of Cornhill. Sentence, two years' imprisonment.

On Thursday, Whetstone, Puzey, Cherry, Partridge, and Margaret Pickett, were tried for stealing Lord Foley's plate, and Samuel Benjamin for receiving it. The evidence was very lengthy, but similar to that given at the police court. The case failed against Cherry and Pickett. Whetstone, Piney, and Partridge were convicted of the robbery. Benjamin was acquitted. Whetstone, who was in Lord Foley's service at the time of the robbery, was sentenced to six years' penal servitude, and the others to be imprisoned for three years.

A murder and suicide were committed in Park Road, Islington, during the night of Tuesday—a young man whose name was at that time unknown, shot an "unfortunate" young woman' "Miss Phillips," and then killed himself. They were found on a bed in the morning, both dead. The roan appeared to have first discharged two barrels of a revolver into his companion's head, and then fired another barrel into his own brains. A woman who lived in the house did not hear the reports of the explosions; a neighbour who was kept awake by illness did, but as it was lightning at the time she thought the sounds were thunder. The murderer was supposed to have been actuated by jealousy.

The young man was identified by his father on Thursday—his name was Henry Robert Hodges ; he was twenty-five years of age ; and was a clerk in a solicitor's office.